Will the utility as we know it disappear?

Bill Loveless asks this question in a special for USA Today. It certainly has changed over the past one or two decades and will continue to evolve. Can they make money selling less? What do you think? Huh? Utilities spur power savings, see profits For nearly 125 years, electric utilities have operated according to … Continue reading Will the utility as we know it disappear? →

Indonesia taking renewable energy seriously

To promote renewable energy, Indonesia is taking a bold step by considering to set up a separate electricity utility devoted to renewable energy. Wilda Asmarina describes the developments on the Thomson Reuters Foundation website. Indonesia mulls new renewable energy utility as PLN resists costs Indonesia is considering creating another utility company dedicated to purchasing … Continue reading Indonesia taking renewable energy seriously →

US utility investment in energy efficiency programmes on an upward path

Energy utilities globally are playing an important role in promoting energy efficiency. The US has had programmes since the first oil crisis. The European Union has its energy efficiency obligation. Ralph Cavanagh has a good blog on Switchboard that is the Natural Resource Defense Council Blog, reviewing the progress in 2015. It would be good … Continue reading US utility investment in energy efficiency programmes on an upward path →

Gigantic changes that are now happening in the ways we get electricity

It is instructive to see what is going on in the US as it grapples with the changes to the electricity system. Chris Mooney writes a good article in the Washington Post about the controversies that are leading to legal action. The electricity innovation so controversial that it’s now before the Supreme Court FERC. … Continue reading Gigantic changes that are now happening in the ways we get electricity →

Discussing a major paradigm shift in the energy sector

The CleanTechnica website provided a very thought-provoking question and answer post on its website recently. Technology visionary Ad van Wijk from the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands speaks about a major paradigm shift is underway in the energy sector, one that will upend the energy system as we know it. Energy Sector … Continue reading Discussing a major paradigm shift in the energy sector →

Energy companies realising that promoting solar is good for business

There have been many articles about electricity companies being resistant to renewables because of the loss of business. Well, as Chris Mooney writes in the Washington Post, this doesn’t always have to be the case. Power companies may have found a new way to crack into the solar business We’ve all heard by now … Continue reading Energy companies realising that promoting solar is good for business →

Getting energy utilities more involved in sustainable energy

Priya Barua and Joshua Ryor write a good blog on the World Resources Institute. They write that a growing number of companies want utilities to provide access to long-term, fixed price renewable energy. Utilities that deliver are able to retain large customers, attract new ones and drive economic growth. An Opportunity for Cooperative Clean … Continue reading Getting energy utilities more involved in sustainable energy →

Regulators in Maryland order electric utilities to give greater effort on energy savings

Timothy Wheeler writes in the Baltimore Sun about recent orders from the state regulator to increase its effort on energy savings, with a special target on low-income consumers Utilities ordered to boost energy-saving efforts Maryland regulators ordered the state's electric utilities to boost their efforts to reduce power consumption, setting one of the most … Continue reading Regulators in Maryland order electric utilities to give greater effort on energy savings →

Call for deep changes to the way Europe runs and regulates its electricity sector

Tobias Buck writes in the Financial Times how one of Europe’s biggest power companies sees the need for major reforms in order to better promote renewable energy. Iberdrola calls for energy reforms to back ‘efficient’ renewables The boss of one of Europe’s biggest power companies has called for deep changes to the way the … Continue reading Call for deep changes to the way Europe runs and regulates its electricity sector →

Update on energy efficiency programmes of US utilities

Dylan Sullivan, a staff scientist for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) writes an excellent account of utility efforts on energy efficiency in the US on the NRDC blog site. Utility investment in energy efficiency programs continues to increase, but we need more Energy efficiency programs - rebates, information, and market development efforts that … Continue reading Update on energy efficiency programmes of US utilities →